Sandy, which is currently churning in the Atlantic Ocean near the Bahamas, is expected to make its way north and threaten the D.C. area. Forecasters from the Capital Weather Gang say there’s a 75 percent chance of a direct or indirect hit from Sandy, which could bring 2 to 8 inches of rain and wind gusts from 50 to over 75 miles per hour.

In a phone interview, Arlington’s acting Deputy Director of Emergency Management, Bonnie Regan, said an email was sent Thursday to emergency support personnel in various county departments, asking them to check generators, fuel supplies, and weekend staff availability.

Regan said she was planning to participate in a conference call with forecasters, organized by the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, which was to take place at 3:30 Thursday afternoon. She said the county was waiting for a more definitive forecast of Sandy’s path before taking additional steps. The storm isn’t expected to hit until Sunday or Monday.

“We’re waiting for more information,” Regan said. “There are lots of different models out there right now. They’re not able to exactly tell us which way it’s going to come.”

Still, Regan said the county will act swiftly to staff its Emergency Operations Center for the storm if it becomes clear that D.C. is in Sandy’s likely path.

“Because there’s a weekend involved, I don’t want to scramble at the last minute to try to find people,” she said. “I always say, plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

Three Office of Emergency Management staffers are already scheduled to be on duty on Sunday, Regan said. They’ll be staffing the unified command center for the Marine Corps Marathon, which is scheduled to start in Arlington around 8:00 that morning.

VDOT says it is also closely monitoring Sandy while “making all appropriate preparations and taking all precautions.”

(Updated at 7:25 p.m.) The Arlington County Police Department has opened a criminal investigation into a video of Patrick Moran, son of Rep. Jim Moran (D) and former field director of his reelection campaign.

The video, released yesterday by conservative activist James O’Keefe, allegedly shows Moran offering advice on how to cast fraudulent ballots. The advice was given to an undercover reporter who approached Moran with a scheme to fraudulently vote on behalf of 100 people.

Moran has since resigned from the campaign.

From an ACPD press release:

The Arlington County Commonwealth Attorney’s Office and the Arlington County Police Department have been made aware of a video released yesterday allegedly depicting Patrick Moran, former Director of Field Operations for the Jim Moran for Congress campaign organization, assisting another to vote illegally.

The Arlington County Police Department has initiated a criminal investigation of this matter.

“All parties will be involved in the investigation,” he said, adding that “it would be irresponsible” to not investigate the video. Police will turn over the results of the investigation to the Commonwealth Attorney’s Office, which will then decide whether or not to prosecute.

Patrick Moran, in a statement issued following his resignation from the campaign, denied any wrongdoing.

“At no point have I, or will I ever endorse any sort of illegal or unethical behavior, he said. “At no point did I take this person seriously. He struck me as being unstable and joking, and for only that reason did I humor him. In hindsight, I should have immediately walked away, making it clear that there is no place in the electoral process for even the suggestion of illegal behavior: joking or not.”

Arlington GOP Chairman Charles Hokanson, meanwhile, called for Rep. Moran to resign over the video during an interview that was scheduled to air this afternoon NPR, according to an Arlington County Republican Committee press release.

I don’t condone the actions of the right wing organization in question, but I recognize that this incident is teaching Patrick a tough lesson early in life. I know that my son’s intention was to deflect the line of questioning by this trained political operative bent on goading him into a specific response.

But the fact remains that the conversation drifted into discussions that reflected a serious error in judgment that Patrick wishes he could take back.

In life, if we learn from our mistakes, we move forward stronger, wiser, and committed to ensuring they are not repeated. I know Patrick will come out of this tough situation a better man for it.

The Moran campaign also issued a statement.

Our campaign welcomes a thorough investigation and we will fully cooperate. The incident involving Patrick was an unfortunate situation. While clearly lacking good judgment, Patrick’s unsolicited interaction with a right wing political operative seeking to trap him in a damaging conversation did not constitute an unlawful action. We are confident this unwelcome chapter in the campaign will be quickly and favorably closed.

Drivers should expect significant delays on southbound I-395 following an accident in the HOV lanes.

Initial reports suggest the accident involved an off-duty police officer in his or her personal vehicle. The HOV lanes are partially blocked near Glebe Road as a result of the accident. HOV traffic is getting by on the shoulder.

At least one mainline southbound and northbound lane of I-395 is also blocked. Southbound traffic is currently slowing near the Pentagon.

A D.C. taxicab somehow went up a steep embankment, ran into and partially went over a guardrail on Washington Boulevard this afternoon.

The accident happened around 1:00 p.m. on the section of Washington Boulevard between I-395 and Columbia Pike. Initial reports suggest the taxi was heading northbound from I-395 to Washington Boulevard when it ran up an embankment and into the guardrail along the southbound lanes of Washington Boulevard.

It’s unclear how the accident happened, although initial reports suggest another vehicle might have been involved in the accident; that vehicle suffered only minor damage.

The driver of the Ford Crown Victoria cab was extricated by firefighters and taken to a local hospital, according to scanner traffic. Traffic on Washington Boulevard was backed up as crews worked to remove the cab from the guardrail.

Preparations are underway in Rosslyn, Crystal City and elsewhere in Arlington for the 37th Marine Corps Marathon on Sunday, Oct. 28.

The race will start at about 7:55 a.m. and the 26.2 mile course, which winds through Arlington and the District, will close at 3:00 p.m. During the marathon, Crystal City will be hosting an all-day family festival, complete with moon bounces, face painting, obstacle courses and live DJs. Rosslyn will be hosting the marathon’s finish festival, featuring live bands, a beer garden and free massages for runners.

The Arlington County Police Department is planning to close the following roads and highways to make way for the 30,000 runners expected to participate in the race.

An elderly landlord was found beaten and incoherent in his apartment in the Woodmont neighborhood on Monday, according to this week’s Arlington County crime report.

The man was in his 80’s and police believe the assailant was a prior tenant who owed the landlord money, said Arlington County Police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck.

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 10/22/12, 3300 block of N. Lorcom Lane. On October 22 at 8:35 am, a resident of a multi-unit dwelling found his elderly landlord in his bedroom incoherent, with a orbital fracture of the right eye. The victim had been assaulted but struggled to recall the incident. The investigation is ongoing.

Last Thursday a woman was dragged about 25 feet by a vehicle in the Douglas Park neighborhood. Police say the vehicle was being driven by the woman’s boyfriend following an argument..

MALICIOUS WOUNDING, 10/18/12, 3700 block of S. 16th Street. On October 18 at 10:00 am, a female victim was dragged by a vehicle driven by her boyfriend after an argument. The victim sustained a large cut to the back of her head and other minor injuries, requiring transport to Virginia Hospital Center. Warrants were executed against the suspect, Giancarlo Perez, 23, of Arlington, for malicious wounding and destruction of property. He remains at-large.

Paws to Read Coming to Cherrydale — Paws to Read, a program that allows children to practice their reading skills by reading books aloud to dogs, is making its debut at the Cherrydale Branch Library next month. The ‘Paws’ dogs will be at Cherrydale the afternoon of Saturday, Nov. 10 and for one Saturday each month afterward. The program is intended for children from K-5. [Arlington Public Library]

Controversy for Fmr. Arlington Official — Former Arlington Deputy County Manager Kenneth Chandler has resigned as City Manager of Portsmouth, Va. The resignation came as the city council was preparing to fire him for the bungling of the resignation of the city’s former fire chief. [Virginian-Pilot]

Resident Pens Va. Tech Cookbook — Krista Gallagher, a Pentagon City resident, has co-written a recently-published cookbook for Virginia Tech alumni. The book, “A Taste of Virginia Tech,” compiles recipes from various restaurants around Blacksburg. Gallagher will participate in a book signing event at Bailey’s Pub and Grille in Ballston (4238 Wilson Blvd) at 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 8, before the nationally-televised Virginia Tech-Florida State football game. [A Taste of Virginia Tech]